North Atlantic Coastal Waters, 2012

Waterspouts in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, August 25, 2012

August 25, 2012 · NWS AKQ · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Scattered thunderstorms associated with low pressure along the Mid Atlantic Coast produced two waterspouts across portions of the Chesapeake Bay.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS AKQ wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms associated with low pressure along the Mid Atlantic Coast produced two waterspouts across portions of the Chesapeake Bay.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 25, 5:23 AM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 25, 5:23 AM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 25, 5:41 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 25, 6:53 AM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 25, 6:59 AM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 25, 7:07 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 25, 7:11 AM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 25, 7:25 AM EST, 49 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 25, 7:38 AM EST, 36 minutes before
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The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.

Waterspout, Mouth of Chesapeake Bay From New Point Comfort to Little Creek, Va

When
August 25, 8:14 AM EST
Where
Mouth of Chesapeake Bay From New Point Comfort to Little Creek, Va forecast zone, 6.05 mi NE of Thimble Shoals
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
37.100, -76.170

Waterspout was seen from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

Waterspout, Mouth of Chesapeake Bay From New Point Comfort to Little Creek, Va

When
August 25, 12:30 PM EST
Where
Mouth of Chesapeake Bay From New Point Comfort to Little Creek, Va forecast zone, 6.41 mi ESE of Thimble Shoals
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
37.020, -76.150

Waterspout was reported in the Chesapeake Bay.

What these are

Waterspout
A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Atlantic Coastal Waters in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather history

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 411162, 411166.